Timote "Junior" Maile Tafuna is a former collegiate football defensive tackle from the University of Utah. A Taylorsville, Utah native, Tafuna attended Bingham High School in South Jordan, where he began his football journey. (via Utah Utes' official website)
Tafuna joined the Utah Utes football program in 2020. He redshirted for the year and saw no game time. In 2021, he played in 13 games and started the final 11. He finished the season with 33 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup. He was awarded Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Pac-12. He again was named a 2022 Second Team All-Pac-12 pick. As a 2024 senior, he had a season best of five tackles against BYU and was a Big 12 All-Conference Honorable Mention. During his college years, Tafuna played in 48 games. He had 108 tackles (53 solo), 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and one forced fumble (via Utah Utes' official website)
Junior Tafuna's NIL deals
As of April 2025, Junior Tafuna has engaged in several Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities during his collegiate career. He’s affiliated with the Utah Crimson Collective, the official NIL collective for student-athletes at the University of Utah. In October 2023, the Crimson collective provided every scholarship football player, including Tafuna, a free lease of a 2024 Dodge Ram 1500 Big Horn Night Edition. The offer included all expenses, including insurance, as long as the players remained on scholarship, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
Tafuna also joined other deals through the Collective, such as Sammy's Buddy Program and the Ken Garff Hole in One Challenge. Junior Tafuna is active on social media, having accounts on X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and Instagram (via On3).
Also Read: Where is Junior Tafuna from?
Junior Tafuna's NIL deal tracker
According to On3's official website, the following table is an account of the NIL deals that Junior Tafuna has signed in his career, as of April 2025:
| Date | NIL Deal |
| 4/23/24 | Ken Garff Hole in One Challenge |
| 2/04/24 | Sammy's Buddy Program |
| 8/21/23 | Sammy's Buddy Program |
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FAQ on Junior Tafuna
A. Junior Tafuna has an NFL Next Gen Stats athleticism score of 71, according to NFL's official website.
A. Junior Tafuna is 6 feet 3.5 inches tall, as per NFL's official website.
A. Junior Tafuna went to Bingham High School in South Jordan, Utah.
A. Junior Tafuna attended the University of Utah.
